According to information from the project company Femern A/S, preparations for the special ship IVY, which plays a key role in the construction of the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel, were nearing completion at the end of January 2026.The approval of the immersion pontoon is almost two years behind the original schedule.
Tunnel construction activities in Germany at the turn of 2024/25 comprise 40 transport tunnel projects with a total length of around 83 km, thus stagnating at a historically low level. At the time of reporting, the volume of planned transport tunnels amounts to 156 individual projects with a total length of 659 km.
On 11 June 2026, the 11th Rock Mechanics and Tunnelling Day will take place at the WBI Center in Weinheim (Germany). The conference will be organized by WBI GmbH, sponsored by the German Railway (DB InfraGO AG) and supported by the German Engineering Association (Württembergischer Ingenieurverein, Arbeitskreis Bautechnik).
The expansion and modernization of the international Stuttgart–Zurich rail link is gaining momentum. On February 9, 2026, Deutsche Bahn began preparatory work for the excavation of the Pfaffensteig Tunnel.
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has commissioned a joint venture between Implenia and Marti (50% each) to build five of the six lots that make up the MehrSpur Zurich–Winterthur project: the Brüttener Tunnel (Lot 240), Winterthur section (Lots 140 and 141), Dietlikon section (Lot 340) and Wallisellen section (Lot 540). The contracts for the five lots were awarded in stages over the last few months. This large and challenging infrastructure project focuses on the mobility needs of future generations. The total order amounts to just under 1.7 billion Swiss francs. The construction phase of the project will take approximately ten years to complete.
In December 2025 the team from Porr Tunnelbau reached a significant milestone in the ElbX tunnel construction project, a central component of the SuedLink expansion by transmission system operator TenneT Germany: 50% of the tunnel has been excavated. Since excavation began in early February 2025, the TBM has worked its way through around 2800 m beneath the Elbe.
Major projects such as the construction of subway stations impose high demands. Particularly in densely populated metropolitan areas, construction equipment must not only operate efficiently but also minimize local impacts such as noise, dust, and emissions. Additionally, limited space conditions require customized solutions. And this is precisely where Bauer’s new BCS 185 power pack comes in – a modular drive system that can be powered by either a diesel or electric generator.
Tunnel construction is driven by major projects with tight time frames. Hence, it is crucial for processes to run reliably with no unplanned downtime. This is where RUD‘s drive technology comes into play. The high-performance round steel chain as the basis of the system runs reliably even in a challenging environment.
The STUVA Conference 2025 took place from November 25 to 27: two days with an extensive program of lectures and a well-attended exhibition, the STUVA Expo, and one day with numerous exciting...
